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Hi this is Betsy from Classroom Teacher Resources and I get to talk to you today about one of my favorite subjects, it has to do with math
I love math, it is my number one most favorite topic to teach as well as talk about.
Today I want to talk to you about a really easy thing you can do to add rigor to your classroom.
Rigor is how I get success out of my students.
I get great test scores every year in math, over 90%
and this is one thing I do to get my students where they need to be on standardized tests, it's adding rigor.
So, it seems like a hard thing to do but it?s really not.
You just push those standards a little above grade level.
So, here?s what I?m talking about.
Today I took this standard, this is for fourth grade, numbers in base 10.
This is standard 5 and the standard is
?students need to be able to multiply a 1 digit by a 4 digit or a 2 digit by 2 digit using equations, arrays or the area model.?
So let me show you an example of the area model
a 1 by 4 digit open area model, I?m gonna just show you real quick.
So I chose 6 x 2132, put our 6 at the top, we decompose this number to be 2000, 100, 30 and 2
and then we go and multiply those out because this is like, you know, the square footage of your house.
It?d be kind of a funny looking house but kids love this, they like to tie it to something they know.
So let?s say this is their ultimate bedroom, alright 6 x 2000,
the trick is you do 6 x 2, that?s 12, put three zeros on the end.
6 x 100, oooh that?s an easy one.
6 x 3 is 18 with a zero on the end.
6 x 2 is 12. Let?s add ?em up.
So we go 2, that's 9, 7 and 12, so 12,792.So we go 2, that's 9, 7 and 12, so 12,792.
Easy peasy right? Kids get that down pretty darn quick once they have their math facts firmly stuck in their heads.
So how do we add some rigor to that?
Well, I always have my students once we're learning math facts we don?t stop at 10s,
we go up to 12s, because y?know, 12 is something that we can remember
because it?s a 10 and a 2 and it?s easy to add it together.
So let?s take this standard and push it a little bit
by going to a 2 digit by 4 digit. Seems a lot harder than this but really it?s not.
So let?s take 11 x 1324.
And we do that area model the same way.
So let?s decompose this, we?ve got 1000, 300, a 20 and a 4.
Here we go. 11 x 1 with 3 zeros on the end.
They know 11 x 3, just double the digit. 33 with 2 zeros,
22 with a zero
and that?s a 44. We add ?em up.
4, 6, 3, 4, 5, 4 and 1, we?ve got 14,564.
Now, was it much harder? Not at all. But are we adding rigor? Absolutely.
And once kids understand that if it?s a number up here that they can do pretty quickly
like 11s and 12s we?ve pushed that standard even further.
A lot of times I?ll go ahead and do 15 and 25 too
because kids can count by 15s and count by 25s, because it?s just like money.
We?ll do 20 even. It?s just pushing that envelope for what the standard is,
I never stop with just merely what the standard says because that?s all that?s required.
I always take my kids a little bit further because first of all they can do it, and they feel proud of it
and it?s also getting them ready for the next grade level
so they will take off as soon as that toe is right through that 5th grade door.
So don?t be afraid to add rigor to your classroom.
Kids can do it and they love the idea that they?re smarter than a 4th grade standard.
So try it in your classroom and write in if you have questions or ideas,
I love to share and I love to hear what you?re thinking.
So, write in to Classroom Teacher Resources, it?s easy to find me,
just click that 'contact me' link on my home page. See you next time.